Anti-manipulation combination lock



April 21, 1959 M. M. CHECK 2,882,709

ANTI-MANIPULATION COMBINATION LOCK Filed June 4, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1ATTORNEY April 21, M. M. CHECK ANTL-MANIPULATION COMBINATION LOCK FiledJune 4, 195a 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1mm. m. leak ATTO R N EY April21, 1959 M. M. CHECK 2,882,709

" ANTI-MANIPULATION COMBINATION LOCK Filed June 4, 195a '4 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 21, 1959 M. M. CHECK, 2,382,709

ANTI-MANIPULATION COMBINATION LOCK Y Filed June 4, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INYENTOR BY W w ATTQRNEY Ma e M United States Patent ANTI-MANIPULATIONCOMBINATION LOCK Mathias M. Check, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to TheYale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation ofConnecticut Application June 4, 1953, Serial No. 359,533

3 Claims. (Cl. 70-133) This invention relates to combination locks ofthe class in which a series of tumblers are set by a dial, with a fencethen entering gatings in the tumblers. More particularly, my inventionrelates to a novel construction in a lock of this class whereby thecombination of the lock can not be detected through manipulation of thedial.

As a very important feature of my invention, I provide novel means thatnormally hold the fence away from the tumblers during rotation of thetumblers by the dial. The fence can be released from these means formovement toward the tumblers but when the fence is thus released, thedial is locked against rotation. By this construction it is impossibleto rotate the tumblers when the fence is in contact with the outerperipheries of these tumblers, and the positions of the tumbler gatingscannot, therefore, be detected.

As a further feature of my invention, I utilize novel means whereby apredetermined movement of the dial releases the fence and locks the dialagainst rotation, this predetermined dial movement being preferablydifierent from the movement of the dial when setting the tumblers. Moreparticularly, the dial normally rotates in the usual way to set thetumblers, but is adapted for a certain axial movement. The means thatholds the fence away from the tumblers is a dog, and the axial movementof the dial causes this dog to release the fence and also to lock thedial against rotation.

As a further feature of the invention, I arrange a particular coactionbetween the dog and fence whereby I am able to utilize the fence toretract the bolt. For this purpose, once the fence is released to enterthe tumbler gatings, and enters those gatings, it remains thereinindependently of the dog. Thereafter, the dial can rotate to actuate thefence for retracting the bolt, and the dial can further eject the fencefrom the gatings to require a resetting of the combination.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of myinvention in order that the detailed description thereof that followsmay be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features ofmy invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based mayreadily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of myinvention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention bythose skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view showing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the fence in the tumblergatings, with the dog in position to release the fence and to lock thedial against rotation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the dog held out offence holding position whereby to permit retraction of the bolt by thedial.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the retraction of the bolt fromFig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a view showing parts of the lock in exploded relation.

Fig. 8 shows the opposite sides of parts shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, I utilize in my novel lock adial 10 on a spindle 10a for rotating a base tumbler 11. The details ofthe base tumbler 11 are best shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and will bedescribed later, because it is first necessary to know merely that thedial 10 can act, by rotating the base tumbler 11, to set a series ofrotating tumblers 12 in a conventional way. When the tumblers 11, 12 areproperly set, gatings 13 in the tumblers are aligned, as shown in Fig.2, relatively to a bar 14 on a fence that I indicate generally by thenumeral 15. The fence 15 is mounted on a fixed pivot screw 16, and aU-shaped spring 17 is also mounted on the pivot screw 16, as shown inFig. 2, with the arms of the spring engaged between a slot 18 in thefence 15 and a lug 19 on the bolt 20 whereby to act by rotating thefence to press the bar 14 toward the tumblers 11, 12. Further, theU-shaped spring 17 can act, when the tumbler gatings 13 are aligned, toeffect entry of the fence bar 14 into these gatings, as shown in Fig. 4.

Thereafter, upon rotation of the dial 10, the base tumbler 11 moves thefence 15, as shown in Fig. 6, to retract a bolt 20 that slides betweenretracted and projected positions, this retracting movement of the boltbeing effected through a cam 21 that is formed on the fence 15 and thatis positioned in a cavity 22 in the bolt 20. Upon rotation of the dial10 in a reverse direction, the base tumbler 11 ejects the fence bar'14from the gatings 13, this action rotating the fence 15 so that the cam21 moves the bolt 20 again to projected position. It is to be noted thatthe cavity 22 in the bolt 20 is sufficiently large, relatively to thecam 21, to enable the fence 15 to have a certain movement that isindependent of the bolt 20. Thereby the spring 17 can move the fence bar14 relatively to the tumblers 11, 12 and into the tumbler gatings 13,with the cam 21 effective to retract the bolt only after the bar 14 hasactually entered the gatings.

The operation of the lock, as I have thus far described it, is thenormal operation of a lock of the particular class.

Experts have found a way to detect a combination of a lock of thisclass. Thus, they know first that it is impossible to manufacture thetumblers so that the peripheries of the tumblers all lie in perfectalignment relatively to the fence. Because the tumblers do not lie inperfect alignment relatively to the fence, it is possible bymanipulating the dial to detect, through visual and manual perception,the position of each tumbler gating relatively to the fence. The priorart attempts to provide means for preventing this detection, includingthe utilization of extremely lightly operating auxiliary fences andother attachments operated at the front of the dial. However, none ofthese devices of the prior art are entirely satisfactory because theycan be attacked through wearing of the combination mechanism or parts ofthe operating mechanism.

The invention here contributes means, as earlier outlined herein, forholding the fence away from the tumblers during the manipulation of thetumblers, with these means further locking the dial against rotationwhen the fence moves toward the tumblers, but, nevertheless, enablingthe dial to rotate when the fence is actually in the tumbler gatings. Asan important part of my novel means, I show in Fig. 1 a plate like dog23 that is positioned transversely relatively to the axis the dial atthe outer side of the base tumbler 11.

The dog 23 has a central opening 24, best seen in Figs. 7 and 8, throughwhich a sleeve 25 extends freely to support the dog on the spindle 10a.This sleeve 25 functionally is an integral part of the spindle 16a,being threaded on the spindle and secured thereto by a key 26, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, and is formed as a separate part merely for purposesof manufacture and assembly.

Between the dog 23 and the base tumbler 11 is a dished spring 27 thatnormally presses the dog 23 outwardly in an axial direction to theposition shown in Fig. l, but that can yield to allow movement of thedog 23 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3. At all times, however,the dog 23 is held against rotation by a lug 28 formed on the dog andpositioned in a slot 29 in a part of the lock case, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The dished spring 27 does, incidentally, serve further tohold the base tumbler 11 imposition on the end 30 of a hollow stud 31upon which the tumblers 12 rotate, with a circular bearing portion 35 onthe tumbler 11 in position to rotate in the stud 31.

It will be well to describe at this point the means through which I movethe dog 23 by an axial movement of the dial 10. For this purpose I formon the inner surface of the bearing member 32 in which the spindle 10arotates, a shoulder 33 for engaging the outer end of the sleeve 25, thisarrangement retaining the spindle 10a and dial 10 relatively to thelock, but allowing the spindle and dial to move inwardly. Further, Iform on the sleeve 25 a peripheral shoulder 34 that is positionedagainst the dog 23, whereby the dial 10 when pressed inwardly moves thedog 23 to the inward position shown in Fig. 3. Also, the dished spring27 is effective by this arrangement yieldingly, to hold the dial 10 aswell as the dog 23 in the outward position shown in Fig. 1. To maintaina driving connection between the dial 10 and the base tumbler 11 whileallowing axial movement of the dial, I arrange an inner end part of thesleeve 25 to extend within the circular bearing portion 35 on thistumbler, with splines 36 in the bearing portion 35, well insulated inFigs. 1, 2 and 7, engaging slots in the sleeve 25.

For coacting with the dog 23, I form upon the end of the fence that isadjacent to the dog 23 a tapered surface 37 that is substantiallyaligned with the bar portion 14 of the fence. With the dog 23 held bythe dished spring 27 in the outward position shown in Fig. 1, an edgeportion 38 on the dog presses against this tapered surface 37 of thefence to hold the bar 14 away from the tumblers 11, 12. Therefore, ifthe dial 10 is manipulated to rotate the tumblers 11, 12, the locationof the gatings 13 cannot, by this manipulation, be determined throughcontact of the fence with the tumblers.

On the other hand, when the dog 23 is moved with the dial 10 to theinward position of Fig. 3, the edge portion 38 of the dog 23 movesrelatively to the tapered surface 37 of the fence releasing the fencefor movement by the spring 17 toward the tumblers. If the tumblergatings, including the gating in the base tumbler 11, have been alignedpreviously, the bar 14 will enter those gatings as will be presently setforth, and a notch 41a of the fence will move into coaction with the dog23 as is illustrated in Fig. 3. On the other hand, if the tumblergatings are not aligned when the dial is moved inwardly to move the dogto the position of Fig. 3, the fence will not rotate sufficiently tobring its notch 41a into engagement with the edge 33 of the dog 23because the fence will encounter the peripheral surfaces of the severaltumblers.

It is extremely important to note further that I form upon the basetumbler 11 a lug 39 that must enter a slot 40 in the dog 23 to allowdial 1t) and dog 23 to move inwardly from the position of Fig. 1. Thus,when the lug 39 and slot 40 are not aligned relatively to on e another,the dog 23 cannot move to the position of Fig. 3. Also, the dog 23cannot then'tilt inwardly to'rhe position of Fig. 5, since the lug 39and dished spring 27 together are effective to prevent such movement.The lug 39 and slot as are aligned relatively to one another when thedial 10 rotates the base tumbler 11 to a position with the gating of thebase tumbler in alignment with the bar 14 of the fence. As the dog 23thereafter moves from its position of Fig. '1 to its position of Fig. 3,the lug 39 moves into the slot 40 to lock the base tumbler 11 to the dog23. Because the dog 23 cannot itself rotate because its lug portion 28locks it to the case at all times, I thereby lock the base tumbler 11and dial 10 against rotation. Therefore, if the remaining tumblers havenot been properly aligned prior to the alignment of the base tumbler,the location of the gatings of those tumblers cannot be determined sincethe dial 10 can not now rotate the tumblers relatively to the fence. Ifthe dial 10 is now released, the spring 27 moves the dog 23 and dial 10outwardly to release the lug39 and base tumbler 11. Dial 10 is now freefor rotation, but at the same time, the edge portion 38 of the dog,through its coaction with the tapered surface 37 of the fence, moves thefence once again away from the tumblers.

The operation that I have just described occurs when the tumbler gatings13 are not aligned and, therefore, do not admit the bar 14 on the fence15. I shall now describe the novel means whereby the bar 14 on the fence15, upon entry into the aligned gatings 13, is enabled to remain in thegatings to be moved by tumbler action for retracting the bolt 29. Uponthe fence 15 I form a notch 41a, to which I have already alluded, havingwhat may be termed a detent surface 41, well shownin Figs. 1, 2, 3 and7. To understand the action of the detent surface 41, it is necessary torealize that when bar portion 14 of the fence enters the tumbler gatings13 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 upon inward movement of dog 23 from itsposition of Fig. l to the position of Fig. 3, the edge 38 of the dogwill enter notch 41a. If the tumbler gatings are not aligned, the fencewill not be able to move a sufiicient distance for the detent surface 41of its notch 41a to engage edge 38.

With the edge 38 in notch 41a and detent surface 41 and the dog 23 thusengaged, the dog is in non-camming relation to the fence 15, and tomaintain this non-camming relation as the base tumbler 11 rotates tomove the fence, I curve the edge 42 of the dog 23 on the axis of thepivot screw 16 on which the fence rotates. Therefore, upon release ofthe dial 10 for outward axial movement, the detent surface 41 holds thecurved edge 42 of the dog in its inward position, and the pressure ofthe dished spring 27 is ineffective to move the fence 15 out of thetumbler gatings 13. However, the spring 27 does move the dog 23 to thecocked positionshown in Fig. 5, and thereby the dog 23 moves outwardlyaway from the lug 39 on the base tumbler 11. I thereby release the basetumbler 11 for rotation while the bar portion 14 of the fence 15 is inthe tumbler gatings 13, and, by then rotating the dial 10, I can movethe fence 15 to move the bolt 20 to retracted position. Upon reverserotation of the dial, the base tumbler 11 does, of course, project thebolt 20 and eject the bar 14 on the fence from the gatings 13.Simultaneously with the ejection of the bar 14 from the gatings, thetapered part 37 on the fence moves into engagement with the edge portion38 on the dog, and the dished spring 27 is then effective throughmovement of the dog 23 to cam the fence 15 awayfrom the tumblers 11, 12,so that the parts of the lock are again in the position shown-in Figs. 1and 2.

It may be Well to review a complete operation of my look as well as thereview what happens when an attempt is made to detect the combination.With the parts in the position of 'Fig. 1, the fence is-maintained withits bar portion 14 away fromthe tumbler peripheries and the tumblergatings by the dog 23. Anyone attempting to manipulate the lock willknow that the dial may be pushed inwardly from the position of Fig. 1 tothe position of Fig. 3 only when the base tumbler 11 is positioned withits gating aligned with the bar 14 of the fence, because only in thatposition will the slot 40 of dog 23 be in alignment with the lug 39.Also, only in that position will the gating 13 of the base tumbler 11 bein alignment with the fence to allow the fence to move to the positionof Fig. 3. It will be appreciated that the dog 23 cannot be moved withthe dial 10 inwardly of the lock to the position of Fig. 3 unless theslot 40 is in alignment with the lug 39. Any attempt to manipulate thelock without knowledge of the combination will be defeated because eachtime that the base tumbler lug 39 is aligned relatively to the slot 40of the dog 23, and the dog 23 is moved inwardly to release the fence formovement toward the tumbler gatings, the base tumbler and the dial willbe locked against rotation. In addition, while the fence will have beenreleased by the dog 23 for movement toward the tumblers, it willencounter the tumbler peripheries and will not move a suflicientdistance to bring its notch 41a into that relation to dog 23 illustratedin Fig. 3. Thereafter, when the dial is released, the dog 23 will thenmove back to the positions of Fig. 1, once again moving the fence awayfrom the tumbler peripheries.

So far as I have been able to determine, it is absolutely impossible todetect the combination of my lock.

Anyone knowing the combination will rotate the dial 10 so as to positionthe several tumblers in alignment with the 'bar 14 of the fence. Duringthis rotation of the tumblers the fence will be maintained at all timesaway from the gatings because of the action of the dog 23, wellillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. With all the tumblers aligned relativelyto the bar 14 of the fence, the dial will now position the base tumblerso that its gating is aligned also with the fence, and its lug 39 isaligned with the slot 40 of the dog. If the dial 10 is now movedinwardly the parts will assume the position of Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, itwill be noted that the dog 23 is maintained in parallel alignment withthe tumblers as in Fig. 1, but in an inward position. It will be notedthat the slot 40 has encompassed the lug 39 so that the base tumbler anddial can no longer rotate. It will be noted further that since the fencewas free to rotate to bring its bar portion 14 into the tumbler gatings,its notch 41a has moved into coaction with the dog 23 presenting a flatdetent surface 41 to the dog.

The fence now being in the tumbler gatings and the dog 23 being heldagainst movement back to its position of Fig. 1, the operator releasesthe dial 10. The spring 27 presses the dog 23 and dial 10 toward theposition of Fig. 1. However, because the dog is held by the detentsurface 41 at one side thereof, it will cant or cock as shown in Fig. 5.Thus, while the dog 23 remains locked and engaged by the fence at oneside, its opposed side moves to bring the slot 40 away from coactionwith lug 39 of the base tumbler. Obviously, the dial 10 and the basetumbler, together with the remaining tumblers, are free for rotation.Such rotation will be effective, because of the conventionalrelationship between the fence and the tumblers, to move the bolt of thelock from its position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 6. It will benoted that the fence will still hold the dog 23 in a cocked positionbecause of the configuration of the surface 38. If now it is desired toproject the bolt, a reverse rotation of the dial will effect movement ofthe fence that will place the bolt in its fully projected position. Thiswill also be effective to move the fence away from the dog 23 so thatthe dog will again assume its position of Fig. 1, in which position itprevents inward movement of the fence except when depressed by action ofthe dial.

I believe that the extremely novel features whereby I am able to preventdetection of the lock combination, and in addition to retract the boltthrough rotation of the tumblers, will now be clearly understood, andthat the very considerable value of my contribution will be fullyappreciated by those skilled in the art.

I now claim:

1. In a lock of the class described, a series of combination tumblers, afence adapted to enter gatings formed in said tumblers, a dial rotatableto position said tumblers to align the gatings thereof with said fence,a springpressed dog, a cam portion on said dog through which the dogpresses the fence away from the tumbler gatings, means of connectionthrough which said dial when moved to a predetermined position moves thedog against the spring pressure to release said fence from said camportion for movement toward the tumbler gatings, said fence entering thegatings when the gatings are aligned, a part mounted to rotate with saiddial, a locking portion on said dog having a surface engaging a surfaceon said part to lock the part and dial against rotating movement whensaid dial and dog are moved to release said fence for entry into saidgatings, and means whereby said fence coacts with the dog to hold itscam portion against movement to press the fence away from the tumblergatings while the fence is within said gatings.

2. In a lock of the class described, a series of combination tumblers, afence adapted to enter gatings formed in said tumblers, a dial rotatableto position said tumblers to align the gatings thereof with said fence,a spring-pressed dog, a cam portion on said dog through which the dogpresses the fence away from the tumbler gatings, means of connectionthrough which said dial when moved to a predetermined position moves thedog against the spring pressure to release said fence from said camportion of the dog for movement toward the tumbler gatings, a partmounted to rotate with said dial, and a locking portion on said doghaving a surface engaging a surface on said part to lock the part anddial against rotating movement when said dial and dog are moved torelease said fence for entry into the tumbler gatings.

3. In a lock of the class described, a series of combination tumblersincluding a base tumbler mounted to rotate in a tumbler axis, a fenceadapted to enter gatings in said tumblers, a dial, means mounting saiddial for axial movement and also for rotating the base tumbler wherebyto position said tumblers with their gatings in alignment with thefence, said fence when in the tumbler gatings being adapted for movementby the base tumbler and dial, a dog mounted substantially parallel tosaid tumblers, a portion connected to said dial and against which saiddog rests for movement with said dial in the tumbler axis, meanssecuring said dog against rotation, spring means pressing said dogrelatively to said portion that is connected to the dial to urge saiddog and dial to an outward axial position, means on the dog holding thefence away from the tumblers when said dog and dial are in said outwardaxial position, a locking portion on the dog, and said base tumblerhaving a part formed with a surface that is engaged by a surface on saidlocking portion to lock the base tumbler against rotating movement whensaid dog is moved axially inwardly against the pressure. of said springmeans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS132,936 Sullivan Nov. 12, 1872 237,950 Bernhardt Feb. 22, 1881 2,601,774Behrens et a1. July 1, 1952 2,767,572 Miller Oct. 23, 1956 2,775,113Behrens Dec. 25, 1956 2,775,114 Lee Dec. 25, 1956

